Ankeny senior catcher Max Watson has joined four players from the Ankeny Centennial baseball team on the CIML Conference first team by a vote of the league’s coaches.
The Jaguars were represented on the squad by junior pitcher Joey Oakie, senior pitcher Easton Pratt, senior catcher Nick Severson and senior infielder Damin Churchman. That foursome led Centennial to a 30-8 record and a share of the conference title along with Johnston, the eventual Class 4A state champion.
Oakie compiled a 7-3 mark with a 1.13 ERA and racked up 91 strikeouts in just 49 2/3 innings. He also batted .341 with one home run and 20 RBIs.
Severson batted .463 with two homers, 12 doubles and 27 RBIs. He was a unanimous pick along with Oakie, who was also a unanimous selection in the CIML Iowa Conference a year ago.
Pratt posted a 7-1 record with a 0.76 ERA. He limited opposing batters to a .154 average.
Churchman batted .377 with two homers, eight doubles and a team-high 33 RBIs. He also tied for the team lead in triples with three.
Watson was named to a utility position after leading the Hawks to a 21-20 record. He batted .398 with seven doubles and a team-high 34 RBIs.
Two other Ankeny players, senior pitcher Brock Adamson and senior outfielder Ben Sandvig, were named to the CIML Conference second team along with senior outfielder Easton Miller and junior Emerson Alberhasky of Centennial. Alberhasky was selected to a utility position.
Adamson compiled an 8-3 record with a 2.62 ERA and 61 strikeouts. Sandvig batted .318 with one homer, four triples, nine doubles and 16 RBIs while also setting a single-season school record by being hit with 21 pitches.
Miller batted .330 and drove in 18 runs. He led the Jaguars with three home runs, which came on three consecutive at-bats late in the regular season.
Alberhasky batted .340 with one homer, three triples and 27 RBIs. On the mound, he went 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA.
Centennial also placed junior Lucas Bruhl and his sophomore brother, Isaac, on the CIML Conference third team. Lucas was named to a utility position, while Isaac was selected to an infield spot along with fellow sophomore Kinnick Vos of Ankeny.
Isaac Bruhl batted .340 with three triples and 23 RBIs, while Lucas Bruhl batted .309 with six doubles and 17 RBIs. Vos batted .351 with one homer and 24 RBIs for the Hawks.
Several other players from both schools earned all-conference honorable mention. They are seniors Carson Agan, Alex Griess, Reid Johnson and Ryan Maire, junior Jack Clevidence, and sophomores Zach Halverson and Evan Irlmeier of Ankeny; and seniors Cole Grider and Kyle Miller and junior Sean Stewart of Centennial.
